Knuckle Cracker

Creeper World 2 => Gameplay Discussion => Topic started by: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 10:44:28 AM

Title: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 10:44:28 AM
Some maps contain instantly moving creeper, for instance: rooms 2 & 8 on Cubic, the bars at the bottom on Day 16, and the fast moving dots in the center of Day 17.

Sometimes this kind of creeper prevents your weapons from aiming accurately, sometimes you can't build units and sometimes the flow of packets gets interrupted.

I'm interested to know how you handle these situations.

- What weapons do you use?
- Can you circumvent the disability to build and/or packet flow interruptions?
- Do you rather attack the moving creeper, or the pool/chamber where the moving creeper comes from?
- Is there an easy way to find out where the creeper comes from anyway?
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: Echo51 on March 30, 2011, 10:51:02 AM
attack the source, just like you cut the head off the snake to kill it. or you could build a shield or repulsor as to spread out the creeper unless it regenerates like in Day 17
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: Fisherck on March 30, 2011, 11:01:42 AM
.Room 2, I am fast enough to circumvent, so I don't have experience on that one.

.Room 8 is, I believe, best taken by blasters. Mortars are to slow, ore is nonexistent in cubic, and shields get messy (if you can build them in time).

.The bars on day 16 I circumvent by shields. 2 launcher blasts makes a spot big enough to build one shield, and that is all you need. I do this through all the bars. Once one shield gets eroded, I destroy it and build another one it it's place (phenomenon I posted about in the latest build). Then I go to the mother source and get rid of that.

.I just consider the dot area in day 17 a lifeless zone. I start excavating right under and build a rift for quicker movement. I don't believe you can build shields fast enough, so the only way to get rid of those is at the source, which takes to long. So I just ignore them. I found out the hard way to not use repulser on those. They erode and leave creeper behind when they are moving, destroying all your movements.
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 11:25:12 AM
Quote from: Echo51 on March 30, 2011, 10:51:02 AM
attack the source, just like you cut the head off the snake to kill it.

But how do you know its source? Theoretically the source can be a cell of entombed creeper on the other side of the map.... ;)

Quote from: Echo51 on March 30, 2011, 10:51:02 AM
or you could build a shield or repulsor as to spread out the creeper unless it regenerates like in Day 17

That's my point; you can't reach the source easily on Day 17 (which I like :P). Apart from that the density of the moving creeper is often too high to be handled by repulsors (max. 300000?). I'm also not sure which weapon is most effective to get rid of it or create some space for packets to go through.

Quote from: Fisherck on March 30, 2011, 11:01:42 AM
The bars on day 16 I circumvent by shields. 2 launcher blasts makes a spot big enough to build one shield, and that is all you need. I do this through all the bars. Once one shield gets eroded, I destroy it and build another one it it's place (phenomenon I posted about in the latest build). Then I go to the mother source and get rid of that.

Oh, I never though of using shields there (probably because I still have to get used to the fact that the amount of creeper doesn't matter for the amount of damage done). I built a microrift between each bar, which is obviously a lot more expensive, especially because a lot of packets get lost when the bars activate. What's that phenomenon?

Quote from: Fisherck on March 30, 2011, 11:01:42 AM
I just consider the dot area in day 17 a lifeless zone. I start excavating right under and build a rift for quicker movement. I don't believe you can build shields fast enough, so the only way to get rid of those is at the source, which takes to long. So I just ignore them. I found out the hard way to not use repulser on those. They erode and leave creeper behind when they are moving, destroying all your movements.

Yep, same happened to my repulsors. Last time I used 2 makers at 4x (one going around at each side) and this worked great. The 2 dots were gone in no time and I was able to build in there fairly quickly. What is the source of these 2 dots? The chamber they are encircling?
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: ontheworld on March 30, 2011, 11:37:12 AM

- What weapons do you use?
Mainly blasters
- Can you circumvent the disability to build and/or packet flow interruptions?
On day 17 They can move right through... The rest, not so much (aside from blowing holes in or putting down micro rifts)
- Do you rather attack the moving creeper, or the pool/chamber where the moving creeper comes from?
when the creeper is static, that one. When moving, the source
- Is there an easy way to find out where the creeper comes from anyway?
look around the map when they respawn (like the bars, and the hyperactive dots respawn each time too)

Quote from: upperKEES
What is the source of these 2 dots? The chamber they are encircling?

Yup
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 11:40:30 AM
Quote from: ontheworld on March 30, 2011, 11:37:12 AM
look around the map when they respawn (like the bars, and the hyperactive dots respawn each time too)

Is there anything I can notice without hovering the mouse pointer over each cell containing creeper to observe a difference in density? And what about sources containing an emitter?
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: Fisherck on March 30, 2011, 11:57:18 AM
Quote from: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 11:25:12 AM
What's that phenomenon?
When the bars appear, they freeze in place, so when the launchers removes the creeper, it stays empty until the next field of bars comes. If you build a shield, and then a new bar comes, the shield will take damge. But if you destroy that shield, you can build a new one in it's place. It does not get damaged until the next field comes...

I am going through that mission right now. I will post pics when I get there.

Quote from: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 11:25:12 AM
Yep, same happened to my repulsors. Last time I used 2 makers at 4x (one going around at each side) and this worked great. The 2 dots were gone in no time and I was able to build in there fairly quickly. What is the source of these 2 dots? The chamber they are encircling?
Yes, if you look closely, you can see a single cell of creeper dissapear next both the emitters once every revolution. They pause momentarily to do this.
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 12:03:23 PM
Quote from: Fisherck on March 30, 2011, 11:57:18 AM
Yes, if you look closely, you can see a single cell of creeper dissapear next both the emitters once every revolution. They pause momentarily to do this.

Hmmm, now I'm wondering: did my makers destroy those 2 dots, or did my launchers prevent them from respawning after attacking the cells adjacent to the emitters? Could be the combo though....

Damn, I wish I could use my saved game to replay. I hate starting from scatch....
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: ontheworld on March 30, 2011, 12:22:02 PM
Quote from: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 11:40:30 AM
Quote from: ontheworld on March 30, 2011, 11:37:12 AM
look around the map when they respawn (like the bars, and the hyperactive dots respawn each time too)

Is there anything I can notice without hovering the mouse pointer over each cell containing creeper to observe a difference in density? And what about sources containing an emitter?

Day 17: the hyperdots. Look at the creeper in the middle, every time they are done going around you can see 2 dots at both sides(my guess is a few frames)
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: knucracker on March 30, 2011, 01:48:57 PM
In this screenshot you can see the actions associated with one of the "hyper-dots".  Crosshairs are pointing to the left most dot in this picture.  This is where they start/pickup a fresh load of creeper, before they make a loop around.

There are two dots and one takes the outside track and the other the inside track.  They leave the middle cells of each cell undisturbed which is why packets can pass but structures can't be built.
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: thepenguin on March 30, 2011, 02:25:12 PM
I got a pic of the dots there in-game
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 02:26:24 PM
Quote from: virgilw on March 30, 2011, 01:48:57 PM
There are two dots and one takes the outside track and the other the inside track.  They leave the middle cells of each cell undisturbed which is why packets can pass but structures can't be built.

I like 'em!  8)

Quote from: virgilw on March 30, 2011, 01:48:57 PM
In this screenshot you can see the actions associated with one of the "hyper-dots".  Crosshairs are pointing to the left most dot in this picture.  This is where they start/pickup a fresh load of creeper, before they make a loop around.

This screeny makes me want to use the map editor so badly! :P
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: thepenguin on March 30, 2011, 02:30:27 PM
ME WANT MAP EDITOR NOW!!

:P
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: Blaze on March 30, 2011, 03:44:41 PM
Am I the only one who can wait for the editor?
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: sayaks on March 30, 2011, 03:51:56 PM
Quote from: Blaze on March 30, 2011, 03:44:41 PM
Am I the only one who can wait for the editor?

yeah
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 04:01:46 PM
Quote from: Blaze on March 30, 2011, 03:44:41 PM
Am I the only one who can wait for the editor?

I can wait, but something tells me you can't beta-test complicated software long enough.... ;D

What if we for instance find something that forces CW2 to use a changed map file format? ::)
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: thepenguin on March 30, 2011, 04:10:12 PM
Quote from: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 04:01:46 PM
What if we for instance find something that forces CW2 to use a changed map file format? ::)

who cares?, the important thing is we have the editor
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 04:43:10 PM
Quote from: thepenguin on March 30, 2011, 04:10:12 PM
Quote from: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 04:01:46 PM
What if we for instance find something that forces CW2 to use a changed map file format? ::)

who cares?, the important thing is we have the editor

Who cares? Don't you see the implications of changing the file format after the game has been released? Do you think people will like it when their saved games become useless?

But let's get back on topic....
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: thepenguin on March 30, 2011, 05:18:58 PM
Quote from: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 04:43:10 PM
Who cares? Don't you see the implications of changing the file format after the game has been released? Do you think people will like it when their saved games become useless?

But let's get back on topic....

who says it changes the save games :)
Title: Re: Instantly Moving Creeper; how do you handle that?
Post by: Blaze on March 30, 2011, 05:46:06 PM
Quote from: thepenguin on March 30, 2011, 05:18:58 PM
Quote from: UpperKEES on March 30, 2011, 04:43:10 PM
Who cares? Don't you see the implications of changing the file format after the game has been released? Do you think people will like it when their saved games become useless?

But let's get back on topic....

who says it changes the save games :)

Indeed, we could just reformat the game saves.